From Hell
by cyberwulf
Summary: Fifth in the 'Soul' series, and a response fic to 'A Dissenting Voice'. Giles and Dawn have a talk. Spike's objectives are revealed...


**Title:** From Hell

**Author:** Cyberwulf

**Rating:** 12s (PG-13), just to be safe.

**Disclaimer:** Characters and universe belong to Joss Whedon and ME. Trust me, if B:tVS was mine, I'd treat the characters a lot better.

**Spoilers:** Set in season seven, shortly after 'First Date'. Contains references to 'Passion', 'Bad Girls', 'Consequences', and general season three. Part five of the 'Soul' series (see Author's Note).

**Summary:** Giles and Dawn have a talk. Spike's objectives are revealed…

**Feedback:** Feed the Wulf! cyberwulf_1andonly@yahoo.co.uk

**Author's Note 1:** This fic is part five of a series that began with Tara Keezer's 'Soul' trilogy: 'Soul' (storyid 1243067), 'Soulless' (storyid 1246824) and 'Soulbound' (storyid 1248396). Jason Barnett wrote a response fic to 'Soulbound' called 'A Dissenting Voice' (storyid 1248832). This is the response to 'A Dissenting Voice'. Also, the overall plot gets moved along a little. ;) I strongly suggest you read all these fics before you read this one, otherwise it won't make any sense.

**Author's Note 2:** You will notice a few things that don't quite gel with canon in this fic. That's because I'd rather write the characters as they were portrayed for the first five seasons, instead of as the pale, 2D shadows they've become. So, Buffy and Giles act as if they've been friends for seven years, and that rubbish in 'First Date' when Giles, Knowledge Guy and Language Guy, was unable to communicate with a Chinese potential and unaware that most Asian people are lactose intolerant, never happened. (Way to reduce my favourite character to a cheap source of 'comic' relief, JE. :( ) Also, Giles has taken over the training of the SiTs. It just makes more sense to me that he'd do it – he DID train Buffy, after all, even though the writers forget that. :(

**Thanks:** To TK and Jason Barnett for giving me the go-ahead to write this. Hope I didn't disappoint, guys.

   " … I said horse-straddle stance, Kennedy."

   Giles stood in front of the SiT and spoke to her quietly. " Feet twice shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, sit down into your stance." He demonstrated. Kennedy grimaced, shoved the burning feeling in her muscles aside, and copied him.

   Out of the corner of his eye, Giles saw another SiT straighten up.

   " Stay down!" he barked. " Stay down!" He addressed all of them. " There will be pushups and bunny-hops if you don't stay down!"

   There were a few grunts as the class obeyed him. Giles made his way back to the top of the training room, formerly the basement. He knew they were tired, he knew they were hungry, and he knew they were sore. But if they couldn't deal with a bit of discomfort, how would they cope with the First?

   Giles took up his stance, left hand out, right hand back on his hip.

   " Last time," he declared. " Ten punches, stomach height." He repeated each instruction in Chao-An's native Chinese. "*Centre line*. Not out here." He held his fist straight out from his shoulder. " Not up here." He held his fist out at head height. " Stomach height, centre line. Punching strongly, please."

   Buffy opened the door as quietly as possible. She leaned against the frame and watched Giles put the SiTs through their paces. She smiled at the sight of Giles in his karate suit and black belt. The karate gear had first made an appearance when Wesley had come to town. While she and Faith sparred in the library after school was over, Giles and Wesley would do the same. Often it ended up with both of them on the ground, each trying to pin the other. Both Slayers inevitably wandered over, keen to see who won… or in Faith's case, to make crude remarks.

   " That looks *a lot* like a sixty-nine, guys. What do you think, B?"

   The smile vanished from Buffy's face. Faith. Was what she'd done really so wrong? Killing Alan Finch had been an accident, sure, but he'd been the Mayor's lackey. He'd been in it up to his neck. One of the bad guys. Who probably had a wife and kids and… Buffy closed her eyes. This thing with Spike had her all mixed up. What Dawn had said hadn't helped any, either. She needed some advice. 

   " Face the front," Giles instructed, repeating it in Chinese. " Standing bow." The class obeyed. " Training is over. Thank you for coming."

   There were audible sighs of relief as everyone relaxed. Giles picked up his towel and watched the group clatter up the stairs. A couple of the other SiTs attempted some Chinese and Giles smiled as Chao-An laughed and corrected them. He'd been teaching her conversational English in the evenings and found her an eager and gifted student. He'd tried to teach the rest some Chinese, with varying degrees of success. As a result, Chao-An was integrating nicely and that was the main thing.

   Buffy approached him.

   " Hey."

   She hoisted herself up on the vaulting horse.

   " How're they doing?"

   " Fine," Giles replied. He towelled his hair vigorously, trying to get most of the sweat out. " You were doing a good job, you know."

   " Thanks," Buffy said, shifting uneasily. " It's just – you're way better at explaining stuff… and plus I think they listen more to you. You've got a – a kind of…" She gestured. " … vibe, y'know?"

   " Ah, yes," Giles replied, folding his arms and leaning against the vaulting horse. "It's called authority. I vaguely remember the last time I had that… about six and a half years ago, wasn't it?"

   Buffy shot him a mock-glare. " Very funny."

   Giles chuckled.

   " Willow, Dawn and the SiTs are going to the movies tonight," Buffy declared. "Kind of downtime for the troops. So it'll be pretty quiet around here later."

   " Oh. Good," Giles replied. " That means we won't be forced to watch MTV all evening."

   " Come off it, Giles," Buffy teased. " We all know you like The Osbournes."

   Giles bristled indignantly. " I don't!"

   Buffy lifted an eyebrow. Giles held her gaze for a few more moments, then caved.

   " All right, yes I do," he admitted. " But officially, I emphatically deny it."

   Buffy slid down from the vaulting horse.

   " I thought, with less people around, maybe you and I could talk," she said.

   " Is something on your mind?" Giles asked.

   " Sorta," Buffy answered. " But it can wait till after dinner." She wrinkled her nose. " And till after you've had a shower."

   Giles flicked his sweaty towel at her. 

   " Hey!" Buffy exclaimed.

   " What?" Giles asked innocently.

   Buffy shook her head and smiled. The pair walked towards the basement staircase.

~~~

   Buffy winced as the front door banged shut. She stood in the hall for a while, just listening to the silence. It was nice. She went into the lounge. Giles was sitting on the couch, eyes closed, his head resting on the cushions. Buffy sank down next to him and watched him for a few minutes. He looked so old sometimes. Buffy didn't like it. She prodded his arm.

   " Hey, wake up!"

   Giles stirred.

   " I'm not asleep," he protested groggily, " I'm just resting my eyes…" He stretched and sat up a little straighter.

   " Can we talk?" Buffy asked.

   Instantly Giles was very awake. " Of course." He turned to her and waited for her to speak.

   " It's about Dawn," Buffy replied. " And… Spike. Kinda."

   " Yes?"

   Buffy shifted uncomfortably.

   " Remember when I told you I wanted to keep Spike's kills in mind, so it'd be easier for me to dust him when he came back?"

   Giles nodded and waited for her to continue.

   " Dawn… thinks that what Spike's doing is okay," Buffy said with a sigh. She looked up at him. " I tried to tell her that it's not, but –" She paused and ran a hand through her hair. " She turned it around and asked me what I would've done to that guy, if he'd raped her."

   " I see," Giles replied.

   " I told her I'd trust the police," Buffy went on. She shook her head. " She didn't believe me. Why should she? It's a big fat lie. If some guy did that to Dawn, I'd cut his dick off." She saw Giles wince, and blushed. " Sorry. But if that's how I feel, then who am I to say that what Spike's doing is wrong?"

   " It's an understandable reaction," Giles admitted. " But Buffy, you know that if everyone went about taking the law into their own hands, society as we know it would collapse."

   " Now why couldn't I have just said that?" Buffy wondered miserably.

   " Do you want me to talk to her?" Giles asked gently.

   " Oh – Giles, that wasn't –" Buffy paused to collect herself. " I wasn't trying to push this onto you. I'm Dawn's legal guardian, it's my responsibility. It's not up to you to be the parent."

   " The offer still stands," Giles replied.

   " Well…" Buffy fidgeted. " If you're sure…" She looked up at him. " I really, really don't want Dawn to think that what Spike's doing is something to admire. But if she didn't listen to me the first time round, why would she listen to me this time?" Buffy looked at the carpet. " She mightn't even listen to you."

   " Don't be so pessimistic," Giles told her. His eyes twinkled. " After all, I do have a kind of… vibe, you know."

   Buffy hugged him. " Thanks, Giles."

~~~

   A cacophony of voices, followed by loud, frantic whispers of " Shhh!" announced the arrival of the SiTs. Giles looked up from his book. He moved to the doorway of the lounge and watched as the gang began to disperse through the house. 

   " Dawn?" he called quietly. The teenager paused at the foot of the stairs and turned towards him. " Could you join me in the kitchen, please?"

   Reluctantly, Dawn slouched into the kitchen.

   " Sit down," Giles invited.

   Dawn sat.

   " What's this about?" she asked curtly. Her tone was not lost on Giles. He would have to handle this carefully.

   " Buffy told me that you and she had a… somewhat heated conversation earlier," he explained. " About Spike, and what he's been doing."

   Dawn rolled her eyes. 

   " Great. Now I get to hear a bunch of empty moralizing from you, too." She scowled at Giles, but couldn't hold his gaze, and dropped her eyes to the table. She flicked away a stray crumb. " Like you guys wouldn't do what Spike's doing if anyone touched me or Willow or Anya."

   " Buffy admitted she didn't answer your question truthfully," Giles replied. He joined Dawn at the table. " She's responsible for you, Dawn. It's up to her to set a good example, teach you right from wrong –"

   " I already *know* right from wrong," Dawn snapped, crossing her arms. " And I know when people are being big hypocrites. We kill demons and vampires and other bad things. And these guys were bad, Giles. They raped women and got away with it. So what if Spike kills them? They deserve it."

   Giles shook his head.

   " Dawn, it doesn't matter whether rapists deserve to die or not," he said. " Don't roll your eyes, please." Dawn scowled at her shoes instead. Giles continued. " Our society has rules and boundaries which have to be observed. One of those rules is that only certain members of society may punish criminals. And then only if they're found to be guilty of the crimes they've been charged with."

   " Oh yeah?" Dawn asked. " And what about when society screws up and the criminal gets found innocent?"

   " No-one said it was a perfect system," Giles answered. " But it's all we have. If you, you throw law out the window, the result is anarchy, and then no-one's safe."

   " So what about justice?" Dawn asked pertly. " What about the victims, huh? The people who've gotta live with seeing the guy who attacked them walking around like nothing's happened? How fair is that?"

   Giles gave a small shrug.

   " Sometimes life isn't fair," he replied. " On occasion, bad things happen to good people. But vigilantism isn't the answer. Individuals can't just appoint themselves judge, jury and executioner. All you can do is try to accept it and get on with things."

   " Yeah, like you did with Miss Calendar," Dawn muttered, sliding off her stool.

   " What did you say?" Giles asked sharply.

   Dawn whirled on him. 

   " You're just as big a hypocrite as Buffy!" she shouted. " You give me all this BS about accepting it when life blows chunks and not taking the law into your own hands, even though you tried to flambé Angelus after he killed your girlfriend. Why the hell should I listen to any of this crap?"

   Giles stared at her for a few moments. When he spoke, his voice was soft and dangerous.

   " If I were you, Dawn, I'd be very careful about what I say next."

   Dawn turned on her heel. " I'm going to bed."

   " I didn't say you could leave-"

   " YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!" Dawn shrieked. " You left, Giles! Buffy came back and you couldn't handle it, so you took off like a little coward and left us to mess up our lives!" The colour had completely drained from Dawn's face, and she was trembling. " We really needed you last year, and you weren't around. So don't think you can just waltz back in here and start bossing me around like nothing happened."

   Giles was too stunned by her outburst to do anything but watch as Dawn fled from the kitchen. He heard her begin to cry as soon as she was out of sight. Giles let go a deep breath. 

   He suddenly wanted a drink, quite badly. 

~~~

   Spike hummed to himself as he cut an article from the newspaper. A sinister smile crossed his face. He wondered how many this made. The plan was working, at any rate: several little packages in the post, and no Slayer showing up to dust him. He chuckled. They all probably thought he was turning over a new leaf. All amazed at an evil, unsouled, unchipped vampire turning to the good side and taking on the forces of darkness. Buffy in torment now that her whole Calling had been thrown into question. _//That's right, love, all vampires can be redeemed, and you're just a murderer.// Spike threw back his head and laughed. He stretched languidly and patted his full belly. Silly bitch probably thought he was still living on butcher's blood. Well, he was, in a way. That big strapping chap who worked behind the meat counter had gone down nicely. So had the girl from the cheese counter. And the bloke who collected the shopping trolleys. _

   Spike snipped off the last piece of paper and regarded the article critically. It had been pure chance that he'd stumbled on this idea. He'd been wandering past a newsstand, stalking a hot-dog vendor, and recognised one of his victims in the paper. He'd smirked at the article. Boo-hoo, justice fails again. And then it had hit him. What a perfect way to muddy the waters even further. Some of the kids would champion him, others – like Rupert – would tut and shake their heads and talk about due process and what was proper. Oh, what delightful chaos there would be when he returned, the Scoobies all arguing among themselves about shades of grey while he got to them, one by one.

   He'd make Xander a minion, just for spite. He'd sire Dawn. Definitely. She'd liked him before, and it would be nice to have someone around who thought he was the dog's bollocks.  After much thought, and weighing up the pros and cons, Spike had decided to turn Buffy rather than kill her. Turning her was tricky – didn't want Red restoring her soul, or ol' Rupes getting all noble and staking her – but he wanted to teach her a lesson. See how that bitch liked it when she was the whore. And if he got bored with her, he could always stake her. He'd kill the rest. Unless Xander wanted to keep Andrew as a pet. Those poxy Slayer wannabes would make a great victory banquet. Then he'd take his new family to Africa and kill that big green bastard for turning him into a cheap Angel rip-off. Spike paused as he realised he hadn't a clue what kind of demon it was or how to kill it. Hmm, better turn the witch and the Watcher too…

   There was a moan from behind him. Spike turned and gazed at the body on the floor. His latest victim was rising – one of the spotty kids who packed bags at the supermarket. Spike grinned. He bet the Stupid Gang hadn't even considered the possibility that the only vampires he dusted were the ones he created, just to send Buffy the ashes. He rose and picked up a stake. 

   " Hey… hey… what's happenin'?"

   Spike plunged the stake into the boy's chest. As the fledgling exploded, Spike got the dustpan and started sweeping up the ashes. He shook them carefully into a baggy, and labelled it. Then he slipped it and the clipping into an envelope. He hadn't actually killed the guy in the article. But since he'd snipped off the scrap of paper that mentioned just how the man had died, the Scoobies wouldn't know that. Spike sealed the envelope, carefully wrote Buffy's address on it, and slapped on a few stamps. He headed out of the warehouse, and swaggered down to the mailbox on the corner.

TBC?

-^)--)~


End file.
